Cooling device

ABSTRACT

A cooling device, in particular for a switchgear cabinet with a housing, in which a refrigeration cycle system is housed, wherein the refrigeration cycle system has vibration-generating elements, namely a compressor and at least one fan. The fan and the compressor are supported in the housing via vibration dampers. For preventing vibratory emissions a cooling device in accordance with this invention has the fan and/or the compressor separately supported by first vibration dampers on an intermediate bracket, or together on an intermediate bracket. The intermediate bracket is supported by second vibration dampers on a bracket, and the bracket is connected to the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cooling device, in particular for aswitchgear cabinet with a housing, in which a refrigeration cycle systemis housed, wherein the refrigeration cycle system hasvibration-generating elements, including a compressor and at least onefan, wherein the fan and the compressor are supported in the housing viavibration dampers.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Cooling devices are known in the prior art. The refrigeration cyclesystem is formed by a compression refrigeration system having acompressor, an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, pipelinesand fans. The motors of the fans and of the compressor cause vibrations,which are transferred to the housing of the cooling device, and then tothe connected switchgear cabinet.

When the cooling device is installed on a machine tool, this can bedisadvantageous, because the vibrations are then transmitted to theprocessing head of the machine tool. The vibrations negatively affectthe processing results of the machine tool so that unevenness is createdon the surface of the workpiece being processed.

Known compressors have been seated on vibration dampers to circumventthis disadvantage. It is thus possible to achieve some improvementwhich, however, has not been considered to be sufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of this invention to provide a cooling device of thetype mentioned above but which, if possible, transmits no vibrations toa connected component, in particular a machine tool, during employment.

This object is attained if the fan and/or the compressor are separatelysupported by first vibration dampers on an intermediate bracket, ortogether on an intermediate bracket. The intermediate bracket issupported by second vibration dampers on a bracket, and the bracket isconnected to the housing.

Thus the fans and the compressor are decoupled from the housing by avibration plane formed by the intermediate bracket. It has been shownthat, for practical purposes, with such an arrangement no interferingvibrations are transmitted from the cooling device to the processinghead of the machine tool.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the refrigerationcircuit system has two fans, each of which is respectively assigned toan air circuit, and the two fans are respectively supported on thehousing by a first and a second vibration damper, and by theirrespective intermediate brackets.

To be able to achieve a stable support of the compressor, theintermediate bracket which supports the compressor is embodied as asheet metal component, which has bevels along the edges. The bevelsstiffen the intermediate bracket and thus form a sufficiently rigidcomponent.

A simple construction for fastening the compressor in the cooling deviceresults if the intermediate bracket supporting the compressor issupported by the second vibration dampers on the bracket embodied as aconsole, and if the bracket is welded to the housing.

In order to be able to house each fan in a space-saving manner in thecooling device, in one embodiment of this invention, the fan is arrangedin the area between the bracket and the intermediate bracket, thebracket is connected by spacing elements to the intermediate bracket,and the intermediate bracket is connected with the spacing elements bythe second vibration dampers.

To reduce the parts outlay in such a construction, the bracket itselfcan carry the air nozzle, which is preferably formed in one piece on thebracket. In that case, the bracket can be made, for example, as astamped and bent element from a sheet metal blank.

In one embodiment of this invention, the vibration damper has a dampingelement, which has a cylindrical holding shoulder and a collar sectionadjoining it. A further damping element with a bore is pushed on theholding shoulder, and a plate-shaped section of the bracket or of theintermediate bracket is clampingly held between the further dampingelement and the collar section. In this case, the vibration damper canbe easily mounted and it is only necessary to provide a bore in thebracket or the intermediate bracket, into which the cylindrical holdingshoulder is pushed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention is described in view of an exemplary embodiment shown inthe drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a fan for a cooling device mounted in abracket arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a detail identified as a circled sectionin FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a lateral view of a compressor for the cooling device mountedon a bracket arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Portions of a cooling device are shown in the drawings, which can beattached to a housing receiving electrical installations, for example aswitchgear cabinet. In turn, the switchgear cabinet can be attached to amachine tool. The cooling device has a refrigeration cycle system, inwhich coolant is conveyed. At least two fans 20.1 are part of therefrigeration cycle system, one of which is respectively assigned to anevaporator or a condenser of the refrigeration cycle system. The fan20.1 is mounted via vibration dampers 14.1 on an intermediate bracket16.1. The intermediate bracket 16.1 can be a sheet metal plate coveringthe back of the fan 20.1. The intermediate bracket 16.1 has bores alongthe edges, in which vibration dampers 14.2 can be mounted. The structureof the vibration dampers 14.2 are shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Asshown, the vibration damper 14.2 has a damping element 14.22, which hasa cylindrical holding shoulder and a collar section of enlarged diameterconnected with it. A second ring-shaped damping element 14.21 can bepushed on the damping element. The second damping element 14.21 has aninterior diameter which approximately corresponds to the exteriordiameter of the cylindrical holding shoulder. A bore passes through thedamping element 14.22.

A fastening screw 15 can be pushed through the bore and its threadedstart can be screwed into a threaded receiver of a spacing element 13.Following its screw head, the fastening screw 15 has a thrust washer15.1. A pin 15.2 follows the thrust washer 15.1 and is inserted into thebore of the second damping element 14.22.

For mounting the vibration damper 14.2, the cylindrical holding shoulderof the damping element 14.22 is inserted into the bore in theintermediate bracket 16 thus provided. The ring-shaped damping element14.21 is then pushed over the area of the holding shoulder projectingbeyond the back of the intermediate bracket 16. In this case, theplate-shaped intermediate bracket 16 is maintained between the twodamping elements 14.21 and 14.22. If the fastening screw 15 is screwedinto the spacing element 13, the front and rear sides of the dampingelements 14.21 and 14.22 are clamped together with the intermediatebracket. Because of the radial force exerted by the thrust washer 15.1,the holding shoulder is radially widened, and thus is also clamped inthe bore.

A bracket 10 is screwed onto the end of the spacing elements 13 facingaway from the damping elements 14.2. The bracket 10 can be plate-shapedand arranged parallel with the intermediate bracket 16. The bracket 10covers the aspirating side of the fan 20.1 and can be a stamped and bentelement, wherein an air nozzle 12 is cut out of the center in the formof an opening in the bracket 10. Here, the edge of the opening is drawnin the direction toward the fan 20.1. Thus the bracket 10 and theintermediate bracket 16 form a frame for the fan 20.1 designed as aradial fan, which can be simultaneously used as a portion of the airguidance.

The bracket 10 has fastening receivers 11 along the edges, by which itcan be screwed to the cooling device housing.

A suspension device for the compressor 20.2 of the refrigeration cyclesystem is shown in FIG. 3. The compressor 20.2 is placed on theintermediate bracket 16 by first vibration dampers 14.1 and is screwedtogether with it, such as with fastening screws 15. The intermediatebracket 16 is designed tub-shaped and has laterally beveled edges 16.1,which are used for stiffening.

The intermediate bracket 16 is screwed together, such as with fasteningscrews 15, with a bracket 10 by further damping elements 14.2, so thatthe bracket 10 and the intermediate bracket 16 are vibrationallydecoupled.

The bracket 10 can be a console and can have a vertical fasteningsection, by which it can be connected with the cooling device housing,for example welded to it. For the purpose of stiffening, the bracket 10has bevels 10.1, 10.2.

German Patent Reference 10 2006 020 506.5, the priority documentcorresponding to this invention, and its teachings are incorporated, byreference, into this specification.

1. A cooling device, such as for a switchgear cabinet with a housing, inwhich a refrigeration cycle system is housed, wherein the refrigerationcycle system has vibration-generating elements including a compressor(20.2) and at least one fan (20.1), wherein the at least one fan (20.1)and the compressor (20.2) are supported in the housing via vibrationdampers (14.2, 14.1), the cooling device comprising: at least one of thefan (20.1) and the compressor (20.2) one of separately supported byfirst vibration dampers (14.1) on an intermediate bracket (16) andsupported together on an intermediate bracket (16.1), the intermediatebracket (16) supported by second vibration dampers (14.2) on a bracket(10), and the bracket (10) connected to the housing.
 2. The coolingdevice in accordance with claim 1, wherein the refrigeration circuitsystem has two fans (20.1) each respectively assigned to an air circuit,and the two fans (20.1) are respectively supported on the housing by afirst vibration damper and a second vibration damper (14.1, 14.2), andby a respective intermediate bracket (16).
 3. The cooling device inaccordance with claim 2, wherein the intermediate bracket (16) whichsupports the compressor (20.2) is a sheet metal component with bevels(10.1, 10.2) along edges.
 4. The cooling device in accordance with claim3, wherein the intermediate bracket (16) supporting the compressor(20.2) is supported by the second vibration dampers (14.2) on thebracket embodied as a console (10), and the bracket (10) is welded tothe housing.
 5. The cooling device in accordance with claim 4, whereinthe fan (20.1) is arranged in an area between the bracket (10) and theintermediate bracket (16), and the bracket (10) is connected by spacingelements (13) to the intermediate bracket (16).
 6. The cooling device inaccordance with claim 5, wherein the intermediate bracket (16) isconnected with the spacing elements (13) by the second vibration dampers(14.2).
 7. The cooling device in accordance with claim 6, wherein an airnozzle (12) is formed on the bracket (10), which is directed to anaspiration area of the fan (20.1).
 8. The cooling device in accordancewith claim 7, wherein the vibration damper (14.1, 14.2) has a dampingelement (14.22) with a cylindrical holding shoulder and an adjoiningcollar section, a further damping element (14.21) with a bore is pushedon the holding shoulder, and a plate-shaped section of one of thebracket (10) and the intermediate bracket (16) is clampingly heldbetween the damping element (14.21) and the collar section.
 9. Thecooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the intermediatebracket (16) which supports the compressor (20.2) is a sheet metalcomponent with bevels (10.1, 10.2) along edges.
 10. The cooling devicein accordance with claim 1, wherein the intermediate bracket (16)supporting the compressor (20.2) is supported by the second vibrationdampers (14.2) on the bracket embodied as a console (10), and thebracket (10) is welded to the housing.
 11. The cooling device inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the fan (20.1) is arranged in an areabetween the bracket (10) and the intermediate bracket (16), and thebracket (10) is connected by spacing elements (13) to the intermediatebracket (16).
 12. The cooling device in accordance with claim 11,wherein the intermediate bracket (16) is connected with the spacingelements (13) by the second vibration dampers (14.2).
 13. The coolingdevice in accordance with claim 5, wherein an air nozzle (12) is formedon the bracket (10), which is directed to an aspiration area of the fan(20.1).
 14. The cooling device in accordance with claim 1, wherein thevibration dampers (14.1, 14.2) each has a damping element (14.22) with acylindrical holding shoulder and an adjoining collar section, a furtherdamping element (14.21) with a bore is pushed on the holding shoulder,and a plate-shaped section of one of the bracket (10) and theintermediate bracket (16) is clampingly held between the damping element(14.21) and the collar section.